The Tampa Bay Buccaneersannounced that they signed wide receiver Lavelle Hawkins to a contract Monday.
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Hawkins joined the San Diego Chargers midway through last season, appearing in four games without a catch and returning eight kickoffs for 176 yards. The 27-year-old receiver spent the previous five seasons with the Tennessee Titans, where he caught 71 passes for 771 yards and one touchdown.
Hawkins adds depth, but is closer to a No. 4 receiver than a No. 3. After trading Mike Williams to the Buffalo Bills last week, we still expect Tampa to draft a receiver in the 2014 NFL Draft, perhaps with the No. 7 overall pick.
As of today, the Buccaneers receiving corps sits as follows: Vincent Jackson, Louis Murphy, Lavelle Hawkins, Chris Owusu, Skye Dawson, Eric Page and Russell Shepard.
There is a steep drop-off from Jackson, which could especially be troublesome for Josh McCown, who walked away from the NFL's top receiver duo to sign with the Bucs.
In the latest edition of the "Around The League Podcast", the guys welcome Browns star Joe Haden to the studio and talk about the uncertain future of Chris Johnson.
